Refrigerator hinge



March 17, 1925 w. G. ALDE EN REFRIGERATOR HINGE.

Filed Aug, 7. 192:;

INVENT DR WILHELM E1 A DEEN ATTYE.

Patented Mar. 1925. V

UNITED STATES PATENT F- 1,529,646 FICE. g

. WIL-HELM G. ALDEEN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL LOOK GOM- PANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR HINGE.

' Application filed August 7,

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, WILHELM G. ALDEE a citizenof the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of lVinnebago and State of Illinois. have invented a certain and massive in construction; and are provided with tapered edges to fit into the door frame instead of over the latter, and with a marginal rim for overlapping the frame to ensure a snug fit. Doors of this character requirehinges of considerable strength to support them firmly in a closed. position. In mounting such doors it is usually necessary to bend the hinge to conform precisely with the thickness of the marginal rim so as to osition thelatter close to the door frame.

eretofore it has been customary to provide hinges made of cast metal, bilLSllClIL. hinges are unsatisfactory because of their costand because of the ease with which they are broken when being securedto the door.- Oneof the primary objects of the invention therefore is to provide an inexpensive hinge of considerable strength which can be bent to exactlv fit the refrigerator door without being easily broken. ,1 Afurther object is to provide a hinge of such designthat it can be easily stamped out of sheet metal, and will still have s1if- -ficient strength to carry a heavy load, and withstand a large clamping effect. Refrigerator doors ordinarily place a heavy stress upon the pivot pin of thehinge, 4 which frequently results in loosening the base leaf from its mounting. This is obviously a very undesirable condition since the door when closed must be tightly clamped against the frame. A further object therefore is to provide a hinge for refrigerator doors which will hold the door tightly in place and'will. not readily .loosen from the door frame.

Another object is to provide a strong hinge which is capable of receiving a better finish than that possessed by prior hinges.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a frontelevation of a hinge embodying the features of .1922. Serial No. 579,976.

my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge joint taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anedge view of the hinge secured toa refrigerator. Fig. 4: is a front elevationof a modified form of 0 the hinge. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View of the hinge joint taken along the line 55 I of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is'a sectional ,view taken in the plane of dotted line 6 of Fig. 4. Figs.

7 8 and 9 are sectional views on the order of Fig. 5,showing alternative constructions. Referring to- Figs. 1, 2 and 3: The leaf 10 whichis pressed from sheet metal, preferably brass, or steel, may be of any desired shape. .Iti-ssecured to the door a by screws 7 11 extendii g-throu h the countersunk apertures 12$ On both sides of the leaf 10 and near the hinge end thereof,;ii1wardly extending projections 13. are provided.- Said projections 13 abut the marginal portion of the door a and constitute locating. stops they also stiffen the leaf 10. i k plurality of curls 14 are formed integralfwith the ,leaffiIO.

1.. As shown in Fig. 3,.the base leaf 15 which is formed of ,sheetmetaland is of a ny desired shape, is secured ,tothedoor frame I) by screws extending through the apertures 16, 16. Fourlugs 17 having. apertures 18 therein are bent up from the base leaf 15. Two of these lugs lie at opposite ends of the curl 14. -The other two lugs lie Within slots 19 formed between said curls. Before forming the lugs 17 from thebase leaf 15, holes 20 are drilled at the base of said lugs so as to prevent the metal from -breaking or tearing inthe corners when forming the lugs. By providing central lugs 17 as show in Fig. 1,excessive strain on the screw passing through the central aperture 16 may be resisted. I A hinge pin 21 extends through the, curl l4.- and the lugs 17 In" Fig. 4 two end curls are formed from leaf 10 in spaced relation. A curl 22 is.

formed on the base leaf'15 so as to fit within the space between the end curls 14. Two lugs 17? on the base leaf 15? lie at opposite ends of the series of curls 14' and 22.

In Fig. 7 the hinge differs from that 10b illustrated in Fig. 1 in that the lugs 17 are three in number instead of four, there being one at each end and one at the center instead of'two near the center. Two curls are formed from the leaf 10 and are spaced apart to provide a slot between them to receive the intermediate lu In Fig.- 8 the hinge diifers from that shown in Fig. 1 in that the center lugs 17 of the'base leaf are formed near the ends instead of near the center. i I

In- Fig. 9 the hinge differs from that represented in Fig. 1 in that the base leaf has onl. two lugs'17 instead of four and the sai lugs are formed near the ends instead of at the ends or near the center.

In manufacturing refrigerators, the thickness of the marginal portion .of the door varies in different makes of refrigerators.-

'two sheet metal stam ings forming respectively a base leaf an a door leaf, the base leaf being in the form of .a flat plate hav-: ing three or more alined intle supporting lugs struck up from the p ate in spaced relation substantiall midway between opposite side edges of t e plate and having registering apertures therein; and the door leaf having a plurality of curls at one end providing pintle bearings adapted to interengage and aline with the apertures in said lugs, and'a pintle entered throughsaid aperture and bearings to connect the leaves hingedly together.

2. A'refrigerator 'door hinge comprising two sheet metal stampings forming respecleaf being in the form of a fiat plate having four alined pintle. supporting lugs struck up from the plate in spaced relation substantially midway between opposite side edges of the plate, the adjacentlugs forms tively a base leaf and a door'leaf, the base mg pairs, and the door leaf having three I curls at one end providing pintle bearings adapted to'enter between said pairs of lugs and aline with the apertures therein, and a ,pintleentered through said" apertures and hearings to connect the leaves hingedly together. y

3; The combination .with a refrigerator having a door with its outer face offset outwardly from the face of the door frame, of

a'hing'e comprising two sheet metal stamp-' ings forming respectively a .baseleaf secured fiat upon the door frame and a doorleaf secured upon said offset face of the door, said leaves; having interengaging portions pivotally connected together, and the door leafhaving flanges at its upper and lower edges for stiffening the leaf, said flanges being further adapted to abut-the ofi'set edge of the door so to serve as positioning stops determining the location of the door leaf with respect to theedge "of the door.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

. WILHELM G. ALDEEN. 

